HONORABLE HEGSETH

HONORABLE HEGSETH

By Andy Weddington

Wednesday, 02 October 2024

A warrior with a cause is the most dangerous soldier of all.  - Michael Scott

At recommendation of one of my two recruit training battalion commanders from Recruit Depot Parris Island 40 years ago, yesterday I read Pete Hegseth's 'The War on Warriors - Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free'

If not familiar with Pete, he's a popular Fox News anchor. He's a Princeton grad (and basketball player). An Army infantry officer - he led men in combat. He's a husband and father. 

Pete Hegseth is a patriot - a purist taking oath to Constitution gravely serious and duty thereto. 

Not more than a chapter or two in I paused long enough to send message to a friend from high school days. He and wife have a child at one service academy and another child committed to a different service academy.

You, your wife, and children must read this book. 

About a year ago he, not veteran, solicited perspective. 

Bluntly ...

In short, the service academies of the 1980s are not the service academies today. 

Importantly, beliefs, discipline, morals, principles, values, etc., embedded in us, and I suspect you instilled in your children, are not the bedrock. 

To the contrary, those qualities/traits challenged and mocked at every turn. 

The mission of the service academies is to prepare young men and women to lead young men and women in combat. 

All education, training, sports, and activity of whatever sort is supposed to mold, based on merit, steely-eyed competent and confident leaders.

That time and battle tested model is under attack. 

The history of prestige attending a service academy and the present sales pitch ought be balanced by you and your children speaking with recently separated and still serving young officers for a dose of reality. 

Know as many facts and as much truth as possible. 

As most any objective veteran has realized, things not good in the Department of Defense. 

That is, the world's premier lethal force has been attacked and neutered, literally, from the inside.

Competency, capability, leadership, lethality, readiness, responsiveness, etc. - all things required of a military outfit - in question and degrading. 

Pete Hegseth wrote straightforward analysis and opinion of DoD; including Chapter 14 addressing the service academies.  

I'll not summarize but certainly recommend his book. 

Pete's a warrior with a cause. 

A man of deep faith, he still holds hope. 

That hope rests with the election of Donald Trump.

The last four words Pete wrote before closing with "Dad" (in letter to sons) ...

In God We Trust. 

Amen.